


To You, I Give My Word that I Will Return

by blackfin



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-15
Updated: 2017-07-15
Packaged: 2018-12-02 08:05:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11505168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackfin/pseuds/blackfin
Summary: All mortals must die and Link is no different but in an attempt to lengthen his life until both he and Sidon can pass into the next world together, the two seek out a spirit who is said to grant wishes. However, breaking the laws of nature itself isn't something easily done and it comes with a hefty price tag





	To You, I Give My Word that I Will Return

**Author's Note:**

> Also posted on my tumblr, s-aizo  
> Currently accepting commissions, check my tumblr for more details

It was when they were standing before the mouth of the cave, the air around them cold, still and stale, that the full weight of just what they were about to do slammed hard onto Sidon’s shoulders. 

Gripping tightly onto Link’s small hand, he struggled to keep his breath even as panic hammered against the confines of his ribs. A noticeable tremble quickly spread through his limbs, though whether that was caused by the sudden anxiety or the sensation that the soft, dewy ground beneath his feet was vibrating, he couldn’t tell. The tips of his fingers began to painfully tingle. Dizziness suddenly swamped him, sending the world into a nauseating tailspin that nearly brought him to his knees but Link squeezed his hand reassuringly when he began to sway, giving him the strength and will to remain upright. 

“We should go back.” Link said softly, his voice audibly shaking, “This isn’t a place for us. We shouldn’t be here.”

The Hylian was trembling just as much as he was. Glancing down, he found Link’s face, pale with just a hint of green, staring up at him. His vibrant blue eyes, ringed with wrinkles, were wide with alarm. Hard, uneven breaths were being pulled through his slightly parted lips. Everything about his body language screamed that he wanted to run, to speed away from this place and head back to safety. He had already taken a step back, his legs tensed in preparation to flee. And, for a split moment, Sidon was tempted to do just that. Despite the area they stood in looking the same as anywhere else in the world, even the most unperceptive mind would be able to tell immediately that this place...it wasn’t somewhere mortals beings should walk. Just as the rumors had said: something unworldly dwelled here. 

But...deep down, behind that knee jerk reaction of being faced with something so unnatural, he knew they couldn’t run. Holding steadily onto Link’s hand, he bent over, ignoring the violent lurch of nausea prompted by the sudden movement, placed a soft kiss against Link’s cold, clammy cheek and whispered, “We can’t turn back now. Not after how far we’ve come. We need to see this through.”

“And if it’s all for nothing?” The Hylian breathed. 

Surprised at how cautious Link was being as he was normally the one jumping head first into any situation, Sidon replied firmly, though he didn’t really feel the conviction in his words, “Then we pick ourselves up and keep looking. But, nothing good will come from turning around now. We won’t gain anything from that.”

Link stared back at him with wide eyes for a moment before nervously shifting his gaze to the cave. It was clear that he still wasn’t reassured but, despite not wanting to have to do it, Sidon couldn’t give him anymore time to think on it. He realized that Link had a lot more experience with spirits than he did so it made sense that he would be more cautious when faced with one that could pose a great danger to them but they couldn't afford to falter here. Straightening up, he ignored his own immense discomfort, kept his grip clamped hard on Link’s hand and stepped forward, towards the cave. Link resisted for a split moment, tugging back against Sidon’s pull but quickly gave in, either sensing that the Zora Prince wouldn’t be stopped or realizing that they really couldn’t turn away from this. 

Falling into step by his side, Link said in a warbling, uneven voice, “No spirit I've met in my life has ever felt like this. Even the evilest, most sinister spirits couldn't cause such sensations and discomfort. Far as I know, it shouldn’t be this way.”

Sidon didn’t reply for a few moments, all of his attention on keeping himself from face planting into the grassy ground as the feeling of vibration, dizziness and nausea got worse the closer they got to the mouth of the cave. Pulling in a deep breath, he finally managed to cough out, “We’ve known since we set out on this journey that we would not be dealing with any ordinary spirit. Whatever this being truly is, there’s probably nothing else in the world like it.”

By the time they reached the entrance, Sidon was certain that at any moment he was going to projectile vomit everywhere. Looking into the depths of the cave, there was really nothing to see but inky blackness. There was no way to tell how far it went or what was beyond the half circle line of light being cast from the world outside. Straining his ears, he struggled to pick up on any sound, any indication of just what was waiting for them inside but there was nothing, just unsettling silence. The air around them was heavy and thick, making it hard to breathe, amping up the panic fluttering wildly in his chest. Swallowing hard against the bile pushing at the back of his throat, he turned to Link, who looked just as sick as he felt, and asked softly, “Are you ready?”

The Hylian was silent for a moment before he slowly, purposefully shook his head, “No, and you aren’t either but that isn’t going to stop neither of us, is it?” 

Sidon simply shook his head in response. Link stared up at him with a conflicted expression on his face before turning away, back towards the vast, endless expanse of the cave. Heaving a huge, trembling sigh, he said softly, “This had better be worth it.”

“We won’t know until we go in.” The Zora Prince responded with little confidence. 

They both stood in uneasy silence for several moments, their eyes glued to the immense darkness, neither wanting to make the first step forward when a sudden, loud angry squawking sound exploded up from the depths of the cave. Jumping back, picking up Link instinctively with one arm to protect him from what could be an unseen threat, Sidon reached down with to grab the hilt of his sword and opened his mouth to issue a challenge when a voice coming from inside the cave spoke. 

“Are you going to stand there all day? Or are you going to stop acting like terrified children and come in to greet me?” 

‘Old crone’ was the first thought that crossed Sidon’s mind as he listened to that voice. Besides the very obvious anger and annoyance, there was a deepness, a huskiness that gave off an aura of a voice not often used. Granted, that wasn’t all that surprising given he was relatively certain that no one had stepped foot inside of the cave for a very long while. Releasing the hilt of his sword, he carefully set Link back down, ignoring the annoyed look he received from the Hylian, most likely in response to the rough handling, steeled himself and took a step forward into the cave. 

The vibrations running through the ground got worse as they moved deeper into the darkness. Keeping his grip on Link’s hand tight enough that he was certain that it had to hurt but unable to allow himself to loosen it out of fear that if Link’s hand were to slip away, he would lose him in the darkness, he tried to force his eyes to focus but there didn’t seem to be anything to see. Nothing was in front of them except for endless darkness. Soon, they had completely cleared what little light had been bleeding in from the outside, leaving them completely swallowed up by the suffocating black. Trying his best to ignore the thrumming of his heart, the vibrations coursing through his body and the very disconcerting sensation of being able to feel the blood rushing through his veins, Sidon led Link deeper inside, focusing all of his attention on each step and the uneven pace of the Hylian’s breath. 

“I’m impressed.” The old crone voice spoke up once more after they had been walking for what felt like an eternity, all hints of anger and agitation now gone from their voice, and instead replaced what did sound like genuine astonishment, “Most don’t even make it a few steps past the mouth, but here you are! For all your hard work, a little relief.”

Abruptly, faint blue lights began to glow along the walls of the cave, casting off a dim, ethereal light. Wincing slightly in the sudden illumination, Sidon was relieved to find that he could now see an actual path laid out in front of them. While they took a moment to let Link catch his breath, the Zora Prince turned around on the spot, examining the inner workings of the cave. Little fungi that looked vaguely like mushrooms were the source of the light - stretching along the wall and floor of the cave, he quickly realized that they were everywhere and each one was giving off a tiny speck of light that, when combined with all the others, was creating the soft glow. 

“Fascinating.” Link breathed, striding over to one of the walls. Reaching forward, he tentatively poked one of the mushrooms, before turning back around to Sidon, shrugged lightly and held out his hand for the Zora Prince to take. Gratefully doing so as the cave was still unnerving him and he didn’t want to be separated, even for a moment, from his little Hylian, Sidon took another few seconds to let his eyes fully adjust before once again heading forward. 

For a long while, they walked in silence, only pausing now and again so Link could catch his breath. The vibrations, feelings of unease and nausea only worsened the deeper they went, until Sidon could barely keep the contents of his light breakfast in his stomach. Walking a straight line was becoming tougher by the moment; his shoulder kept bumping into the side of the wall as he staggered and swayed like a drunk man. Link wasn’t faring any better. In fact, he was doing significantly worse than the Zora Prince. The effects of the cave were obviously taking a heavy toll on him. Even in the dim light, Sidon could see how pale he was, the sweat streaming down his face and the visible tremble radiating throughout his entire body. In the quiet, heavy, stale air, all he could hear was how labored Link’s breath was becoming. 

He was hesitant to pick him up and merely carry him to their destination as, despite the Hylian’s age, he hated being treated in such a way. However, the choice in whether or not to do so was made for him when Link suddenly went down to his knees with a startled ‘oomph’. Dropping down beside him, he gently took hold of the Hylian’s shaking shoulders and asked, “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m okay.” Link gasped, his voice raspy and uneven, “Just give me a second.”

“Link, love.” Sidon murmured, “Be honest with me.”

The Hylian was silent for a moment before he bowed his head, wiped sweat from his mouth and sighed, “These legs aren’t going to take me much further.” Chuckling weakly, he slowly shook his head, “Who am I kidding? I don’t think I can even stand up.”

“It’s fine, Link.” Sidon replied soothingly, brushing back a strand of sweat soaked grey hair, “Rely on me just a little, okay?”

Link was still for a moment before heaving a big, overly suffering sigh. Raising his head, he settled a tired gaze on Sidon, smiled slightly and said, “You tell anyone about this, and you’ll sleep alone for the rest of eternity.”

Laughing softly, he leaned forward, gently bumping their foreheads together, “Wouldn’t dream of it, my love.”

Pushing back into the contact, Link sighed once more, nodded and said, “Alright, pick me up. We’re going to see this through, goddamn it.”

Still smiling lightly, Sidon slipped one arm underneath Link’s shaking legs and the other around his back. With no effort at all, he lifted him up, quickly made sure that he was as comfortable as he could get before continuing forward. He had barely even taken one step when the old crone voice spoke up once more. 

“That’s far enough.” she said with an air of disinterest, “I’ve seen all I need to, so I think we’ll just do what we need to here.”

Confused, Sidon opened his mouth to ask what she meant when suddenly, the illumination given off by the mushrooms brightened to a blinding intensity, forcing him to shut his eyes against the vibrant assault. It lasted for less than a second, turning the world into nothing but a white blur, before fading out. Slowly opening his eyes, blinking rapidly to force away the black spots and red blurs obscuring his vision, Sidon was startled to find, once he could see again, that no longer were they standing on the never ending path but instead, were inside what looked to be a cavern of some sort. 

The walls stretched up high above them, extending to the point that he couldn’t even see the ceiling. Etched into every inch of the rocky surface were intricate designs, none of which he could discern as to what language they were or how they could have gotten there. Before them, standing in stark contrast to all the rich brown of the earth, was a large pond. The water was a beautiful shade of crystalline blue but even after moving forward far enough that he could easily peer down into it, he couldn’t see anything. It was as though there was a blue cloud swirling about underneath the surface, obscuring whatever was done there. 

“We’re here.” Link whispered in disbelief and amazement, “We actually made it.”

“So you did.” The old crone voice spoke. 

Bubbles began to appear in the middle of the pond, growing vastly in number with each passing moment until there was a massive mountain of them. As they grew, the vibrations became worse, getting to a point that it felt like his bones were going to be rattled out of his body. His teeth chattered together, sending a rumbling through his skull that made his brain ache. Struggling to keep himself upright, Sidon held tightly onto Link and watched in panicked awe as the bubbles rose and rose until they all popped simultaneously, revealing just what had been making them. 

He had never seen a spirit before, though Link had told him tales of the ones he had encountered during his days of heroing. But...nothing Link had ever described looked anything like the spirit now in front of them. The being, halfway emerged in the turbulent waters, wasn’t immediately recognizable as male or female. Their body seemed to be constructed from the bones of multiple different creatures, all fused together to make a vaguely humanoid shape. Running in curving, swerving, unpredictable lines along the length of the amalgamated form were the same blue fungi that had been previously helped them find their way. Against the stark white of the bones they cast their eerie glow, causing the entire figure to radiate a unhealthy, unnatural light. Looking at them, Sidon was reminded vividly as veins, left exposed in the absence of skin. 

But perhaps most disturbingly of all was the spirit’s face or rather, lack thereof. Where their face should have been was a massive wooden mask, decorated with the same details that were on the walls and floors of the cavern. There were no noticeable eyes to speak off but looking into those black, endless holes where they could have been, Sidon could tell that something was looking back at him. At the bottom of the mask was a massive, circular hole, ringed with the same fungi which were pulsating gently. Just as the eyes were empty, so too was the mouth - it was nothing more than blank space, filled with something that looked like it had mass but he couldn’t accurately describe, even to himself, what he was truly seeing. 

Skeletal hands were clasped reverently in front of their exposed chest bone, though Sidon immediately noticed that it appeared that the spirit had two sets of arms. The other of which was resting easily on the sides of the pond; one finger on the left hand was tapping against the rocky floor, though the movement didn’t seem to come from impatience as the spirit gave off the disconcerting air of indifference and introspection. 

“Be proud of yourselves, young ones.” The old crone voice spoke, but it didn’t seem to be coming from the spirit in front of them. Rather, it sounded as though the voice was coming from everywhere, like the entire cavern was speaking, “It has been a very long time since anyone has stepped foot in this chamber.”

“We didn’t do much.” Link spoke up easily, clearly not as disturbed by the appearance of the spirit as Sidon was. 

The old crone chuckled, “No, I suppose you didn’t. Truthfully, I could have put you through many trials to test just how strong your bond to one another is but…perhaps today, I was feeling generous. Or maybe it's more accurate to say that I'm quite impatient and wanted to see, sooner than later, how this would play out. Curiosity is a devil, but in this instance, it worked well in your favor so be grateful. Now, then,” the spirit abruptly leaned down, bringing their masked face close to where Sidon stood, “onto why you are here.”

Slowly, the masked face of the spirited tilted until it was nearly horizontal. Looking into that immense, suffocating darkness immediately brought back the feeling of intense nausea to Sidon’s stomach. Swallowing down the bile that was rising quickly up into his throat, his hold on Link unconsciously tightened, prompting his little Hylian to wrap on of his small hands around Sidon’s and squeezed gently. While the touch was comforting, it didn’t do much to alleviate the suffocating feeling of discomfort. Every inch of his skin was crawling, riddled with goosebumps. More than anything, he longed to look away from that assaulting gaze but he held firm. Despite given no real indication of what would happen if he did, he could deeply sense that looking away now would ruin their chance. 

“A Zora and a Hylian. Not a rare combination but still, not one you see often.” The old crone suddenly spoke, their voice thoughtful, “But not only that, the Hero of Light who bravely slew the blight that would have overrun this world with darkness, and the next King of Zora’s Domain, destined to….well, no spoilers, you get the point! You two make quite the match!” They stated with a loud, exuberant chuckle. 

“However, it is because of the love that you are here. Hero,” the spirit said softly, “you are nearing the end of your life. You have lived far longer than Hylians normally do, but you do not have anywhere near to the same lifespan as a Zora. Soon, your life will fade away, just as it must for all mortal beings. And with your passing, you will leave behind the Zora Prince, who will continue to live on for centuries after you have taken your last breath. ”

Cold coursed through Sidon’s veins, pouring into his chest and stomach, freezing his joints and muscles in their vicious assault. His heart clenched painfully, as though someone had reached inside, wrapped their hand around the pumping muscle and squeezed hard enough to crush it. The mere mention of Link passing on into the next world...it was enough to bring him to his knees in panic and terror. In his arms, Link was still relaxed and unbothered, though a quick glance down showed a very obvious flicker of discomfort in his eyes. 

“You’re both afraid, as expected of mortal beings. However, neither of you fear the inevitably of death itself. Death is something you accept and do not wish to fully escape it.” The crone tilted their head the other way, gazing down at them with that endless, violating stare, “Rather, it is the concept of leaving one behind while the other still has years upon years of their life left to live that frightens you. It is the idea of watching someone you truly love, who you are so deeply devoted too pass on and knowing that it will be eons before you will see them again. And that is why the two of you are here. To ask me to delay the oncoming end of the Hero’s life...at least, until the point where you two can pass into the next world together. Am I mistaken?”

“No,” Sidon breathed, his tongue numb and heavy, “you are not. That is why we’re here. Please, name your price! What would you have us do so that we won’t lose one another?”

The spirit slowly, thoughtfully nodded, “Normally, I wouldn’t even stand to listen to such hogwash. Mortals must die - that is simply how it works. Delaying that, putting it off for a silly reason such as fear or love, is asinine to the point of hilarity.”

Sidon felt his heart sickeningly sink into his stomach. Despair bloomed inside of his chest at the mere thought that all their hard work, all of their hopes were to be dashed. Opening his mouth to protest, though there were no words in his mind or on his tongue, he was stopped when the spirit raised one hand in a halting gesture. Link’s fingertips touched his cheek, ripping him back into reality. Turning his head, he gazed down uncertainly at him but when Link smiled reassuringly in response, put a finger to his lips in a ‘shushing’ motion before turning back to the spirit. Sidon felt a hint of courage battling against the despair at the sight of Link's unwavering conviction. Pulling in a deep breath, he held it for a moment, counted to five and let it out slowly. Still not feeling completely calm but much better than he had been, he followed Link’s gaze up to the spirit and waited for them to continue. 

“You are not the first to come to me with such a wish nor will you be the last.” The spirit spoke up softly, twining their two pairs of bony fingers together in front of them, “There have many others who have stood in the exact same spot where your feet are now and asked the same: we want to be together forever so please, don’t let us be separated…” the spirit’s voice trailed off, their head tilting once more to the side, “Selfish, silly, childish requests, looking to beat reality at it’s own game and were nothing more than flimsy masks for the true request: do not let death take us for we are afraid.”

In an abrupt, startling motion, the spirit swooped down, bringing their masked face far closer to Sidon than he would have ever liked. Fighting the urge to jump back, he held his gaze, refusing to look away, even though it felt like his flesh was being striped from his bones and that spirit, that beast could see so deeply into him that the very core of his being, his essence of his true self was being laid bare. Link gripped tightly onto his arm, though whether it was to keep Sidon from falling over or to keep himself steady, he couldn’t tell. 

“You two, however, aren’t asking for complete freedom from death but rather...an extension on life. Your request entails death simply being asked to wait a while before you both willingly surrender to it.” To Sidon’s relief, the spirit leaned back, tilted their head inquisitively before chuckling softly, “Would you believe in the of millennials that I’ve existed, not once has such a request been brought to me? I must admit...even I am curious to see how this could play out. So, why don’t we make a deal?”

“A deal?” Link asked, his voice tinged with hopefulness. 

The spirit slowly nodded, “Understand that I cannot simply grant this wish. If you were asking for me to change your hair color to blue or make that pretty bird in the town over to fall in love with you, then certainly. Pay a small fee and watch it be granted but what you are asking is to defy the nature of reality itself. While I can grant your wish, you must prove that you are worth such an effort, such a kindness. Hero, you have done this world, this time a great service, more than you can ever imagine and for that reason alone am I even considering actually doing this. You have proven yourself time and again, but you must do it once more in order to grasp hold of your desire. The same goes for you, Prince. Are you willing to accept that?”

“We are.” Sidon and Link answered in unison, their voices firm and unwavering. 

Chuckling, the spirit continued, “I suppose that was a silly question, but it is always best to make sure. Very well. This deal comes with terms. If you agree to them, I will set this into motion. If not, I will leave you at the mouth of this cave, with no memories of our conversation and all knowledge of my existence wiped from your minds. Do you understand?”

“Yes, we do!” Sidon answered strongly, taking a step forward. Panic, excitement and dread filled his chest, whirling around in a massive cacophony. This was what they had been spent years researching and looking for. Now that it was directly in front of him, he could scarcely believe it was actually happening. 

“Very well. These be the terms: the Hero of Light must die. This current life he leads will come to a close like it would with any other mortal. By his side, you must remain, Prince, until the very last hint of breath has left him. Three days after he has passed into the next world,” the spirit held up a bony hand with three fingers extended, “take his body to where you first laid eyes on one another and burn it until nothing but ashes remain. Do not gather them up as you would with any other but instead leave them where they fall. With the next moonrise, return to where you burned him. In the place where his ashes lie, you will find a flower with five petals." The spirit's hand opened completely to show all five ivory fingers, "With each anniversary of the Hero’s death, you must return to the flower and pull from it one petal until none remain. When that time comes, the flower will wilt and the Hero will be reborn.”

“However.” The spirit said flatly, in direct response to the immediate, obvious excited reaction that inspired in Sidon and Link. “While he will be reborn, he will not remember anything. Nothing of his past life, nothing of who he was, and nothing of you, Prince. He will be reborn far from Zora’s Domain, into a life that is simple and kind. When that happens, it will be his decision whether or not to leave.” The spirit chuckled dryly, “Knowing the Hero, that is one thing you won’t have to worry about as I can't see even being reborn into a good, peaceful life would weed out that explorer's spirit within in. If he chooses to leave the life he was reborn into, it must then he his decision whether or not to journey to Zora's Domain. You cannot seek him out, Prince - you must wait for him. If you so happen to stumble across one another outside of Zora’s Domain, then consider that a blessed meeting. However, There is no telling how long it will take for that to happen. Decades upon decades could pass before you meet again. If it even happens at all - there is no guarantee as no one, not even I, can predict what will happen once this has been set into motion. But if the threads of fate lead you two back to one another, Prince, you will remember him but the familiar eyes that will be looking back at you will hold no recollection.”

Leaning down, their mask just inches from touching the stone floor, the spirit focused that strange, black gaze onto them and breathed, “And this is where the trial that will deem whether you are worthy of such a wish being granted truly comes into play. If Link falls in love with you once more, if the bonds that are so deep at this moment are reconnected, his life will not expire until your heart ceases to beat, Prince.”

“And if I don’t?” Link asked, “What happens if I were to decide to remain in the life that I was reborn into? What happens if I fall for another?”

“Hero,” the spirit slowly spoke, their voice somber, “there is no better punishment I could inflict than to force the one you love to wait and wait and wait for you to return; wait until his own breath is stolen away by death, wait until there is no more time left to be had. What would be a more suitable punishment for defying the will of the world itself and then throwing away such a precious gift than to make the Prince watch as the one he has waited so long never returns?”

“And what if I fail?” Sidon asked quietly, “What if the blame lies with me, and not Link?”

“If you fail to remove the petals from the flower, Link will simply not be reborn.” The spirit waved two of their hands dismissively, “Though, this might be a good time to inform you that if you miss a year, you can just wait until the next one. It’s one more year to wait but you won’t be out of luck forever. If you fail entirely - say, you die sometime in those five years, Link will not be reborn. However, in the time that Link in his reborn state walks the earth, if you give your heart to another, all the memories of his love for you will return, while yours will vanish. He will rush to Zora’s Domain, only to find you in the embrace of someone else with no recollection of who he is.”

The spirit leaned back, clasped their hands in front of their chest, tilted their head slightly and said, “Those are the terms and the consequences if either of you fail.”

“And what of payment?” Link asked shakily, “What do we owe you if we accept this?”

“Nothing at all. Watching how all of this plays out is more than enough payment. I believe I mentioned it before, but curiosity is a beast and it wants to be satisfied.”

Both Link and Sidon remained quiet for several long moments, the weight of the decision before them heavy on their shoulders. Squeezing Link tightly to his chest, Sidon tried to work out everything in his head but it was all jumbling together, he couldn’t straighten out and pinpoint out one aspect without a thousand other thoughts screaming endlessly in the background. Realizing he was probably not going to get anywhere by just staying quiet, he turned his attention back to the spirit and asked, “May we have time to talk this over?”

“Certainly.” The spirit responded, “I do not expect decisions like this one to be made on the fly. Nor would I ever encourage that. Take your time and think. I will leave this realm for now to give you peace and quiet. When you have made up your mind, stand at the edge of the pond and drop in one pebble. I will return to hear what you have decided.”

With that, the spirit quickly submerged down into the depths of the water, taking with them the sickly light and vibrations, and leaving behind a welcoming, beautiful still silence. Letting out a long, shaky breath, Sidon slowly sunk to the ground, set Link down in front of him, reached up to cup his face in his hands and leaned forward to press a firm kiss against his lips. Trembling arms immediately encircled around his neck as Link pulled himself close, his cold lips pushing back into Sidon’s. Brushing his thumbs along the curve of Link’s cheeks, he breathed in deeply, filling his lungs with the Hylian’s sweet, familiar scent and let his mind focus on nothing but the sensation of Link’s soft lips against his own, his smooth skin underneath his fingertips and the breath brushing along his face. 

They remained close for several moments, drawing strength from one another before they slowly pulled back, locking eyes as they both let out a long breath. Reaching up, Link covered the back of Sidon’s hand with his own, nuzzling his cheek gently against his palm. Leaning down, the Zora prince peppered little kisses along Link’s forehead, not at all bothered by the salty taste of dried sweat. The Hylian’s body was still minutely trembling, though he was certain that was more due to exhaustion than anything else. 

“Well, that was surprisingly straightforward.” Link said with a husky chuckle. 

“Is it normally not that way?”

Link tilted his head thoughtfully before lightly shrugging his shoulders, “Actually, most spirits I’ve met weren’t at all difficult and very honest with their intentions. I guess I was just expecting asking a spirit to pretty much defy the laws of nature wouldn’t go as smoothly.”

“I’m just glad it did. Something like this could have turned nasty easily. Are you okay?”

“Yes, a little tired but that’s nothing new. And you?”

“Shaken, disturbed and still an inch away from losing my breakfast.” Sidon replied honestly, prompting a soft chuckle from Link.

“I’ll cook you up that fish dish you like so much when we return, as reward for standing strong.”

“I wouldn’t have been able to do so if you weren’t here with me.” The Zora Prince sweetly stated, pressing yet another kiss against Link’s forehead. 

“And I wouldn’t have made it at all if it weren’t for you.” Link breathed in response, shifting closer to him. 

Looping his arms around Link’s back, he tugged him into a warm embrace, burying his face into his fragrant smelling hair. Running his fingers up and down the length of the Hylian’s spine, he said softly, “The terms have been laid before us. What do you want to do?”

“So much is being left up to chance.” Link replied carefully, after several moments of silence, “The only thing we know for certain is that I will be reborn. Everything that would come after that - there’s no way to tell.”

“It’s unusual to hear you be so cautious.” Sidon said. 

“Normally, I wouldn’t be but…” Link hesitated for a moment before slowly continuing, “if something were to go wrong, it would be you who would suffer for it. The spirit said it themself: there is no greater punishment than making you wait and watch for the rest of your life. It frightens me, Sidon. The thought of something happening, something beyond my control and you are left with your eyes towards the horizon, spending each day wondering if it’ll be the one that I finally return. What if I never do?” The Hylian suddenly chuckled, though it was a low, sad sound, “Now, I understand how Zelda must have felt on the day she had to put me in the Shrine of Resurrection.”

“She knew you would return, Link.” Sidon said softly, reaching down to cup Link’s chin. Gently lifting his head up, he smiled down into the face of his beloved, “There was no doubt in her mind that you would come back and save Hyrule. My love, there have never been any certainties but we still move forward with hope in our hearts.”

Link searched his face for a moment before quietly asking, “You want to do this?”

Sidon nodded, “This is a chance for me to spend the rest of my life with you. Of course I want to take it.”

“Even knowing that we may never meet again? Knowing that you could spending the rest of your life waiting?”

“Yes.” The Zora Prince replied firmly, “There will always be possibilities that everything could go wrong but we have never allowed that to stop us before. I would rather take this chance and risk the punishment, knowing full well that serendipity might lead you back to me than to let it slip us by and spend the rest of my life with the knowledge that we could have done something festering in my mind.”

The Hylian broke their shared gaze, his head dropping but Sidon gently lifted it once again. Leaning forward, he bumped their foreheads together and whispered, “Just as Zelda had faith that you would return and save us all, I too have faith that you will find your way back to me.”

“And love? Do you have faith that when our paths cross again, our hearts will reconnect?”

“There is no doubt in my mind.” Sidon replied confidently, “Do you not think so yourself?”

Link was silent for a moment before quietly answering, “I do...I think that if we were to do this, the biggest hurdle would overcome is simply finding each other once again. Falling in love once more sounds like the easiest part of this entire thing.”

“Then?”

“I don’t think I could go to my death with an easy heart, knowing that I’ve turned down this generous offer. You’re right, despite the risks...we’ve been given the opportunity of a lifetime, turning it down would be stupid. If this is a chance to be with you once more,” A large, beautiful, vibrant smile spread across Link’s handsome face, “then I will gladly take it.”

Returning the smile with one of his own, Sidon yanked his beloved Hylian close once more, peppering little kisses along the crown of his head, “No matter what, we’ll find each other again. I swear to you that.”

Link snuggled closer, his arms twining around Sidon’s midsection before squeezing tightly. There they stayed, in one another’s embrace for what felt like an eternity, simply drinking in the other, allowing their warmth to mingle together in a comfortable, safe cocoon of limbs. It was Sidon who broke the silence surrounding them. 

“We need to inform the spirit of our decision.”

“Probably a good idea!” Link replied with a laugh. Easily untangling himself from Sidon’s embrace, he scooted backwards and clumsily clamored to his feet. It took a mighty amount of willpower on the Zora Prince’s account to keep himself from reaching out to steady Link as he righted himself. Standing himself, he took a moment to sneakily ensure that the Hylian was okay before striding over to the edge of the pond. Dreading the return of those sickening vibrations, as well as the spirit themself, Sidon knelt down, picked up a small rock that lay nearby and, after a quick look back at his beloved Link to get a confirmation that they were ready, dropped it into the water. 

“Have you made your decision?” The old crone’s voice suddenly spoke, echoing throughout the chamber at a loud enough volume that it made his ears ring. Both him and Link jumped in surprise, their heads swiveling about as the source of the spirit’s voice was nowhere to be found.

“We have!” Sidon called back, hope blooming in his chest that he won’t have to come face to face with that disconcerting spirit once more. 

“Do you understand the terms as I have stated them?”

“We do!” Sidon and Link said in unison. 

“Do you accept the terms as I have stated them?”

“We do!”

“Very well, then. Zora Prince, Hero of Light and Time, you are asking for nature itself to be defied and for that, you may incur agony to come down onto your heads but keep hope in your hearts as the desire you have for time to be reset will be granted to you. Now! To seal this deal and set it into motion, step forward and offer to the water a drop of blood. One each from both of you. Be forewarned! Once your blood has been given, you cannot take it back.”

Without hesitation, though his heart was thundering in his chest, slamming against the confines of his ribs with enough force that it was almost painful, Sidon stepped closer to the water, pulled his sword from its sheath and easily sliced open his palm. Crimson blood instantly poured out of the wound, sliding along his skin and dripping down onto the dusty ground. Something warm brushed against his side. Glancing down, he found Link standing beside him, holding out one of his small hands. A little regretfully, Sidon cut a smaller slice across the palm of Link’s hand, making sure to be a lot more gentle than he had been with himself. As usual, his stomach clenched with cold nausea at the sight of his blood but he quickly swallowed away his unease. Slipping his sword back, he bent down slightly so he could press a gentle kiss against Link’s lips, he whispered, “Are you ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.” Link replied, his breath brushing along Sidon’s jaw. 

Taking a step back, Sidon offered his uninjured hand to his beloved Hylian, who smiled gratefully and took it quickly. Together, they stepped to the lip of the pond, held their bleeding hands over the water’s surface and watched silently as a pristine drop of blood delicately formed, held onto their skin for a suspended moment before slipping away, down into the blue. Sidon had been expecting grandiose to happen after their blood had been taken to the water, like for there to be a tiny explosion or for the spirit to come bursting out from the depths of the lake, his and Link’s blood swirling around them as the spirit drunk it through the open void of their mouth but absolutely nothing happened. As they watched, the red of their blood vanished into the depths of the water. When the last trace of it was gone, the spirit softly spoke, “The deal has been sealed. I will bring you back to the mouth of the cave. Once you leave, we will not be in contact again. Do not ever try to find this place again, do you understand?”

“We do.” Sidon replied solemnly, sorely wishing he had brought some bandages so he could fix up both his and Link’s wounds. 

The spirit was silent for a moment before they spoke up once again. When they did, their voice was noticeably softer, kinder, “Not often do I find myself concerned with the end of stories like these but to you, I offer the sincerest hope that fate will be kind to the two of you. Remain strong and steadfast throughout the ordeal you will face. The bond you two share is powerful and it is not one easily broken.”

“Thank you for your kind words.” Link said sincerely, “We won’t let you down.”

An audible snort echoed throughout the cavern, “Bold words but they are to be expected from the Hero of Light and Time. Now, goodbye. May the light guide your way.”

With that, there was another intense flash of light, just as bright as the one that had preceded their arrival into the cavern. Throwing his injured arm in front of his face to block out the brightness, Sidon held tightly onto Link’s hand and waited for it to subside. When he could finally see again, he discovered the spirit had been true to their word: he and Link were standing at the mouth of the cave, looking out over the army of trees that were assembled before them. To his surprise, he discovered that the sun hadn’t moved an inch - it still hung lazily in the exact same spot it had been in when they had first entered the cave. However, that wasn’t the most surprising thing. What was was that when he stepped out of the cave, rejoicing at the feel of the soft grass underneath his feet, there was no hint of the oppressiveness that had swamped them before. The heaviness, staleness and vibration were all gone, leaving behind an almost unnatural peacefulness. 

“It doesn’t quite feel real yet, does it?” Link suddenly spoke up. 

Turning around, Sidon gazed down at him, smiled slightly and slowly shook his head, “It doesn’t but this,” he held out his injured hand, “proves it, doesn’t it?”

“It does,” Link replied back with a small smile of his own, “perhaps we should head back so we can clean these up?”

“Probably a good idea. You also promised me that fish dinner.”

“Yes, yes, after I’ve gotten my hand bandaged up and taken a nap. Which I think the both of us could use.”

“Sleep does sound lovely.” Sidon replied, quickly realizing just how exhausted he was. It felt like someone had tied rocks to his limbs and filled his skull with sludge. He was certain that tonight, he was going to sleep like a rock. 

“Sidon…”

“Yes, love?” He responded, jerking himself out of his thoughts. 

“I will find you again.” 

The hard, determined expression on Link’s face momentarily stole his breath away. Staring into this unwavering blue eyes, the intense, immense love he had for his little Hylian overwhelmed him, nearly bringing him to his knees as his heart fluttered in his chest. He always found it amazing how, regardless of how much time they spent together, Link almost managed to sweep him off his feet with the simplest and easiest of gestures. Feeling the slight smile on his face widen, he strode over to his beloved, leaned down and whispered, “There is no doubt in my mind that you will. Fate has deemed that we be together and not even the rules of nature or the march of time itself will keep us apart. I will wait for you and when you are before me once more, I will absolutely resist the urge to kiss you until you’re breathless.”

Link laughed softly, reaching forward to gently tug on one of Sidon’s fins, “I’ll trust you to sweep me off my feet again.”

“Leave it to me.” Sidon breathed, dipping down to press an intimate, warm kiss against Link’s lips, “On my pride as a Zora, I’ll make you fall in love with me all over again.”

“I look forward to it.” The Hylian replied teasingly, returning Sidon’s kiss with a quick one of his own, “Now, can we please go back? I’m exhausted, sweating and starving.”

“Of course. Do you want me to carry you?”

He expected Link to give him an annoyed look before marching off but, to his surprise, Link appeared to consider it for a moment before heaving a long, suffering sigh. Drooping his shoulders, he nodded, “Probably a good idea. This took more out of me than I originally thought.”

Not pushing the conversation any further as he didn’t want to embarrass his little Hylian, Sidon bent down, gathered Link up in his arms and straightened back up. Link wrapped one arm around his neck, bumped his forehead against Sidon’s cheek and whispered, “The reality of this is going to hit us hard when we try to sleep tonight. We’re going to realize just what all of this means and that is when the fear, the dread is really going to come down onto us.”

Sidon didn’t immediately respond. Instead, he began walking forward, back towards the small settlement that he and Link had started their short journey out from. While he had no doubt that tonight, when the world was still and quiet, and their minds were about to drift off into slumber, they were both going to come to the realization that they were about to break a rule that was not meant to even be bent, and at the end of their stories, they could easily end up drowning in despair rather than happiness. But still…

“We won’t regret it, though.” He glanced down at Link and asked, “Will we?”

“Nope.” Link replied easily with a small smile, “Not at all.”

Though he was confident that he wouldn’t ever regret this decision, fear still whispered at the back of his mind. The thought of losing his little Hylian, his beloved Link, of being permanently separated from him...it made him feel as though he were drowning. However, he shoved it viciously away, not allowing him to think on what was going to be or what would be. Right now, all he wanted to focus on was getting Link back to that settlement, them both taking a nice long, warm bath and then deciding whether food or sleep would come first. He wouldn’t allow himself to think about Link’s death or what would come after until after they had had time to sleep. 

After all, he needed to remain strong. If he couldn’t stay steadfast now, when the prospect of Link’s death was nothing more than a far off event, he didn’t know how he would be able to handle his actual passing, as well as the years of being separated from him, waiting for him to return. Pulling in a deep breath, he let his mind focus solely on the feeling of Link in his arms and shoved aside all thoughts of what was to come.


End file.
